Barton House: Deadline for evacuated residents to return home passes

Fadumo Farah is among 43 residents who are hesitant about returning to Barton House

The deadline for residents to return to a tower block in Bristol has passed.

Although Barton House has been declared safe, Fadumo Farah is among 43 residents who are hesitant to return.

More than 250 adults and children were evacuated from the block on 14 November after concerns about its safety in the event of a fire or explosion. Many have been accommodated at the Holiday Inn.

The council asked residents to leave the hotel by 17:00 GMT on Friday.

Those refusing to return were told by Bristol City Council they would "be homeless", it was claimed.

A council spokesperson said: "Barton House is safe for tenants to return, and we are supporting them to move back home.

"As previously communicated to all tenants, those staying at the Holiday Inn will need to leave the hotel by 5pm today (Friday 23 February) unless, due to individual circumstances, we have informed them otherwise."

Barton House was declared unsafe by the council and an emergency evacuation was carried out in November

Survey reports show the building now meets safety specifications after structural work was carried out.

Ms Farah, who is a member of the housing union Acorn, was forced to leave the tower block with her children when the council declared the emergency evacuation - something she said she still "hasn't processed".

She said: "I do not want to come back. They told us this building would collapse and it's not safe and we have to move, so that's what we believed."

Ms Farah said she had been given an extra week to return home.